


some bright morning

by helsinkibaby



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe - Canon, F/M, First Meeting, Flashpoint - Freeform, Meet-Cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-05
Updated: 2016-10-05
Packaged: 2018-08-19 18:03:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 874
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8220076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helsinkibaby/pseuds/helsinkibaby
Summary: Joe is hungover at a coffee shop when he literally walks into Doctor Caitlin Snow





	

**Author's Note:**

> Theme : tropes  
> Prompt: meet cute - they literally walk into each other at a coffee shop
> 
> Set in the Flashpoint universe of the season three opener, where Joe drinks too much and Caitlin is a ray of sunshine. (I believe. I've not seen it yet so am going by tumblr gifs and commentary!)

Standing in Jitters, Joe's only thoughts are that it's far too bright and far too early in the morning. His head is pounding and the sun streaming in through the huge glass windows, reflecting off the many shiny surfaces is not helping him out at all. He wishes he'd thought to take some aspirin before he left the house this morning but he'd been running late, again, and he didn't think they had any left anyway. 

Still, late or not, going to the precinct without a decent cup of coffee in his system was not ever going to happen - precinct coffee is the nearest thing he's ever tasted to mud and he isn't going to do that to his system this morning. He feels bad enough without that - hangovers are getting worse the older he gets. 

To add to his discomfort there are what seems like a million people in the coffee shop, all talking at the tops of their voices and Joe wants nothing more than to go back to his car, where there's peace and quiet and he can close his eyes against the sun for just a couple of minutes. 

So he's in a bit of a hurry on his way out of the coffee shop, in such a hurry in fact that he's not really looking at where he's going. He has his eyes fixed on the door so crashing into a distinctly warm, definitely female body is a bit of a surprise, but not nearly as much as the shock of scalding hot coffee hitting his hand - apparently he hadn't properly secured the lid after adding his sweeteners. 

He says a word that would have had his momma washing his mouth out with soap and lets the cardboard cup fall to the ground. Coffee splashes everywhere and he almost swears again but a pair of small hands close around his wrist and the next thing he knows, he's being propelled towards the counter again. "We need a first aid kit," says a woman's voice, in a tone that means business and the next thing Joe knows, there's an ice pack over his hand and he's looking into a pair of very concerned brown eyes. 

"I'm sorry," the woman says. "I didn't see you-"

Joe shakes his head as he looks her up and down. For such a slender thing, she's got a strong grip and he remembers how she pulled him along to the counter, no questions asked. "Don't worry about it," he says. "I'm pretty sure I walked into you."

"It's the glare of the sun this morning," she says, looking around her at all the windows. "I'm surprised it hasn't happened before now." She looks back down to his hand, bites her lip. "How does that feel?" He lifts one eyebrow, a sarcastic response at the tip of his tongue. Then she gives him the tiniest of smiles and it dissolves like sugar in his coffee. "Silly question." 

"I've had worse," he answers instead and he sees her shoulders relax a little. "You a nurse?"

She shakes her head. "Doctor." His jaw drops a little and he makes an effort to not look as surprised as he feels. 

"My lucky day," he observes. "You work at Metro?" It's the closest hospital in this part of the city but again, she shakes her head. 

"No... I'm actually a pediatric ophthalmologist." 

She looks proud at that, a broad smile crossing her lips. Joe blinks. "You're a kid's eye doctor?" 

At that, she does bristle, but only a little. She's obviously far more patient than he is. "They do train us for everything in med school," she tells him. "It's not like I got as far as the eyes and stopped." 

In spite of her words, she doesn't actually sound annoyed at him. In fact, there's a smile to her lips and a twinkle in her eyes as she gently chides him and it makes him feel worse than if she'd gone off on him. Part of her bedside manner, he thinks - he's willing to bet that the kids love her. "Of course. I apologise." 

Her smile widens and, much to his surprise, he finds himself wanting to smile back. That hasn't happened in... well, in a very long time. "You're forgiven, Detective." He blinks in surprise and she actually laughs. "You're wearing a shield," she points out. "And my eyesight is perfect." As if to prove it, she lifts the ice pack from his hand, nods happily. "I think you're going to be fine. Want me to give you a sticker?" 

He actually chuckles. He hasn't done that in a while either. "How about you let me buy you a coffee? To say thank you." 

Her smile is brighter than the sun still streaming in the window. "I would like that. Detective...?"

"West." He holds out his hand for her to shake. "Joe West." Her handshake is strong, firm. "Doctor..."

"Snow," she says. "Caitlin Snow. It's nice to meet you, Joe." 

"Nice to meet you too, Caitlin." Her name feels better on his lips than any morning cup of coffee and, for the first time in a long time, he thinks the day might not turn out so bad.


End file.
